Chicken nuggets, strips, burgers and fries: handle and prepare them with care

Did you know that over the past year and a half, there have been hundreds of laboratory-confirmed human illnesses across the country associated with frozen raw breaded chicken products?

These products may appear to be pre-cooked or browned, but they should be handled and prepared with caution.

Illnesses can be avoided by following cooking instructions carefully and verifying the internal temperature after cooking, as recommended, before consuming these products. Frozen raw breaded chicken products and raw chicken pieces must be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 74°C (165°F) to ensure that they are safe to eat. Whole chicken needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 82°C (180°F).

Wash your hands before and after handling these products, and wash and sanitize the surfaces, dishes and utensils used to prepare and serve them. Following this advice when handling, cooking or eating these products will help reduce your chance (and your family’s chance) of becoming infected with Salmonella.

Most people who become ill from Salmonella infection will recover within a week. However, for some people, infection can lead to more severe illness, hospitalization, and in rare cases, even death.